The Hours on the Clock
by Anath Tsurugi
Summary: Fili and Kili have always trusted and loved each other completely, but what happens when Kili begins to change...when he begins to disappear in the night and can't tell Fili anything about what's happening to him? What can Fili do? (Fairytale AU, inspired by 'The Twelve Dancing Princesses', Durincest, Kili/Legolas)
1. Part One

(A/N) And so my dear readers, we meet once again for another bedtime story. I know some of you have been waiting quite a while for a new one, so let us get right down to it. This fairytale is inspired by the Twelve Dancing Princesses and will be told in two parts.

Warnings: Durincest (sibling incest), rape and dubious consent, voyeurism, and mpreg.

**The Hours on the Clock**

_Once upon a time, which is all times and no times, but not the very best of times, there was a kingdom of dwarves that had undergone a long and brutal war with the Fair Folk: the elves. The immortal beings had long held power in the world because of their great magic, but when the dwarves learned how to manipulate iron to make weapons, they were able to rise up against the elves._

_ After a bitter and bloody conflict, the elves were driven underground, to the twilight realm between the mortal world and the next…but not before the elven king swore vengeance upon the dwarven royal house…the line of Durin. He swore to return one day…to return and claim the line for his own…for then there would be none stronger in all the world…a child born of elf and dwarf._

_ By the time the elven king's plans had nearly come to fruition, many thousands of years had passed in the mortal realm. The elven people had long since passed into legend and there was hardly any fear left of the dangerous fey creatures of old._

_ It was into this world that a dwarf prince with golden hair was born. The little one was loved deeply by his parents and by his uncle, who was then the king of Durin's Folk, and he lived a good and easy life…until his mother became pregnant with his little brother….a hard pregnancy that taxed the young mother greatly._

XxX

The first thing Fili heard upon being allowed to enter the chamber was the yowling cries of an infant. Already made uncomfortable by the close and musty air and the scent of blood heavy in the room, the young prince quickly clamped his hands over his ears.

"What's he so sad about?" he asked his uncle, King Thorin, his voice very loud in an attempt to carry over the newborn's wailing.

"It's not exactly easy to be born," Thorin told him, gently but firmly removing his hands from his ears. "You had quite the set of lungs yourself. Let's not shout, though. Your mother's tired enough as it is."

Starting to feel worried, Fili quickly scampered over to the bed at the head of the chamber, where a handful of healers and nurses were swarming around his mother. Slipping in between them, the dwarfling scrambled up onto the bed. Most of her body was concealed beneath a blanket, but her face was as pale as the sheets on which she lay, and her hand felt clammy when Fili reached for it.

"Mama?" Fili called quietly, clasping her hand tightly in his. It took several moments, but she eventually blinked her eyes open, smiling weakly for her son.

"Hello, Fili."

"Mama…what's wrong?" he asked, feeling a strange fear beginning to boil in his tummy.

"Nothing, dear heart. I'm just tired. Would you like to meet your baby brother?"

He didn't really; what he wanted was to curl up with his mother, but the idea seemed to make her happy, so he nodded…and that was the moment everything changed.

A nurse came to them holding a tightly wrapped bundle in her arms, which she carefully placed in Fili's lap, making certain he was holding the baby properly before backing away. For a moment, all he could see within the folds of the blanket was a tiny, scrunched up face that was red with the effort of crying, but then the small, dark eyes opened up and looked up at him…and all at once, the little one stopped crying. He gazed up at Fili with curiosity in his suddenly bright eyes, offering up a tiny coo. Quite suddenly, the young prince found himself enchanted. He loved his little brother at once.

"What…what's his name?" he asked his mother softly.

"Kili," she answered, her smile brightening somewhat as she tangled her fingers in her firstborn's golden hair. "Your brother's name is Kili."

"Prince Kili," Oin, one of the healers, began. He was also known to be something of a prognosticator, so when he spoke, people tended to listen. "He will be a lovely child…and beloved by all…but the twilight will claim him. His secret lies hidden between this world and the next. It will not be easily discovered."

As the old dwarf finished speaking, the fire in the hearth suddenly glowed an unearthly shade of blue, sparking and spitting, and as the dwarves withdrew in fear, a hand made of smoke seemed to reach out from the blue flames, stretching forth with grasping fingers…toward the two young princes.

Thorin quickly moved in to protect his nephews and sister, sword already drawn, but Fili was one step ahead of him. Not stopping to think of his own fear, Fili quickly shrank back, clutching Kili tightly against his chest as he hopped off the bed and darted out of the chamber, paying no heed to his mother's cries.

Fili ran until he reached one of the palace gardens…a place he'd always liked to play and had always felt safe in. He cradled his sobbing brother close as he hid them within a hollow created by the roots of one of the trees.

"Come on, Kili. Please don't cry," he soothed, holding him tightly to comfort him. "You don't need to be scared of anything, ever…because I'm gonna keep you safe. You're safe with me. I'll protect you…always."

It took time, but Kili did eventually stop crying. He cuddled close against Fili, burbling sweetly as they both drifted off to sleep.

XxX

_Sadly, the king's sister did not long survive the birth of her youngest son. The complications proved to be too great and she breathed her last only a week after the babe was born. As their father had also died in a skirmish with the neighboring kingdom only a few months before, the two princes were left orphaned. They came to be in their uncle's care and the golden-haired prince was named the king's heir, as he had no children of his own._

_ The young prince grieved fiercely for his mother, but he had his baby brother to care for now, and he tended to him without even a single thought of resentment. He loved his little brother and he meant to keep his vow to protect him. There were, of course, whispers of the strange events surrounding the dwarfling's birth, but those whispers fell by the wayside as the dark-haired young prince grew. He was just as lovely as the seer had foretold, and everyone loved his playfulness and sunny nature. He was like a star in the dark as the kingdom drew closer and closer to the brink of war with the neighboring land._

_ And of course, no one loved the beautiful young prince more than his older brother. As the years passed and the child grew into a handsome young dwarf, the golden-haired prince often found himself thinking that maybe…he loved his brother more than he should. When his uncle explained to him the way things were when two dwarves loved each other, he found that he could think of no one except his lovely little brother. He would dream of holding him in his arms…kissing his lips and touching his body. He would imagine the barely restrained sounds of pleasure that escaped from his mouth as he touched him…and shudder at the way his voice would sound as he called his name. He dreamed of taking him…taking him __**hard**__…until he was weeping and begging for release…which the young heir would grant only too gladly…and almost before the prince had realized it, he'd allowed himself to fall head over heels in love with his little brother._

_ The only question that remained was…could his brother ever feel the same way about him?_

XxX

The two brothers sat high in the branches of a tree in their favorite garden, both munching on apples as they watched the twilight slowly bleed into night. They were getting to be a little old for their games…for playing and hiding out in the garden…but also not yet old enough for them to be shouldering much responsibility. They were still very much of an age to be absorbed only in each other.

Fili grinned as he glanced over at his brother, who had a rather copious amount of the sticky apple juice seeping down his chin. Chuckling, he leaned forward to wipe the sticky mess away with his thumb. At first, Kili laughed at the motion, but then he slowly fell silent, staring into his brother's eyes. Almost immediately, Fili felt a blush begin to burn in his cheeks. Before Kili could have the chance to see it, he quickly turned away from him, biting back into his own apple. Kili continued to stare at him. Finally, exasperated, Fili shot a furtive glance back at his baby brother's curious stare.

"First you can't chew with your mouth shut and now you're staring. You'd think no one had ever taught you proper table manners, little warg."

Finally managing to break his stare, Kili shook his head, smiling again. "Manners? Who needs them? Nobody cares what _I_ do. I'm just the second son, after all."

"That isn't true," Fili said seriously, immediately noticing the hint of bitterness in his voice. "_I_ care."

Once again, the two brothers found themselves just staring at each other. Was Fili imagining it…or was that a _blush_ he spied on his brother's cheeks?

More and more often lately, he had found himself dreaming of Kili in ways he knew he probably shouldn't. It wasn't that anyone would _mind_ if they took to bed together. It was their right as princes to bed whomever they chose…when they were properly of age for it, at least. They could fuck as much as they wanted; they could just never be recognized as a married pair, as they could not produce an heir together…and the thought of being with anyone other than Kili broke his heart. He loved Kili so much…but he had no idea if his younger brother felt as he did, and he was terrified to even hint at it for fear of destroying the love they already shared. He didn't think he could live with himself if he destroyed something between them in the name of his own selfish desire. He had looked after Kili all his life. How could he stop now?

All of his musings and worries and longings were quite suddenly ground to a halt, though, when Kili moved across the branch they were balanced on, leaning right in close to him and staring directly into his eyes. Slowly, Kili reached a hand forward to touch his cheek.

"Fili…I'm going to kiss you now," he announced boldly, causing both of their faces to burn a violent shade of red. When Fili didn't protest in any way, Kili took it as his queue and closed the small distance between them, pressing his lips against Fili's.

The kiss was clumsy and moist and fumbling, but at the same time, it was also soft, tender, and seemed to taste of apple and spring rain. They both stared at each other in amazement when Fili finally pulled back from Kili.

"I- I'm sorry," Kili stuttered, pulling back a little himself. "I didn't mean to…I was…I couldn't…I'm _so sorry._"

"Sorry for what?" Fili asked quietly, reaching up to touch where Kili's lips had so lately pressed against his.

"For…well…you…you pulled back…didn't want it-"

"I wanted it," Fili interrupted him. "You can't imagine how _long_ I've wanted it. I was only…you surprised me…is all," he said, fumbling awkwardly with his words.

"So…it…it was all right…then?" Kili asked in a halting voice, feeling a smile light his face when Fili smiled warmly back at him.

"More than all right. In fact, I wouldn't mind doing it again," he said, closing the space between them for another sweet kiss. This one became a little more heated and Kili half-shrieked when he near fell from the tree branch. Laughing, the younger prince easily slithered his way out of the tree, landing softly on his feet. Fili followed him, quickly pinning him to the tree for another kiss. Before long, they were lying against the trunk of the tree, tangled up in each other and their seemingly endless stream of kisses.

"I'm sorry…I was so bold," Kili murmured in between kisses. "I just…I couldn't bear to…ignore what was between us anymore."

"No…I'm glad you were bold. I never…would have done anything," he groaned right back, reaching for Kili's belt. Kili whimpered softly when he laid him bare.

"Oh…Fili…Fili, I think I love you," he whispered, his body rutting involuntarily up against his brother's.

"I _know_ I love you," Fili returned with a fierce, passionate kiss. "I know…nothing can ever come of it, but I love you. Love you so," he said as he lowered his head to Kili's sex, hovering a moment before shifting lower and laying very heated kisses to his strong, supple thighs, causing the younger dwarf to cry out rather wantonly.

The two young lovers didn't _quite_ go all the way that night…but they did things that would have made their uncle's stuffy old councilors blush to the roots of their white hair.

XxX

_As the years passed, the two brothers explored each other very thoroughly in love, until they had learned every last inch of each other's bodies, inside and out. They were the truest and most passionate of lovers…but unfortunately, their bliss could not go untouched for all of time._

_ The skirmishes with the neighboring kingdom did eventually devolve into open conflict. War was declared and the king and his heir had to ride off into battle, leaving the younger prince behind, as it just wasn't wise for both princes to go to war._

_ The two brother-lovers missed each other terribly, writing to each other almost constantly, but it wasn't until several months following the elder prince's departure that the younger found himself awakened in the middle of the night by an eerie yet beautiful singing._

XxX

The voice called Kili from his sleep like a siren's song, calling out to his soul in a way he couldn't understand. He didn't know from where or why the singing came. He only knew he had to go to it.

The young prince rose slowly from his bed, eyes glassy as he allowed the enchanting song to lead him. He drifted unseeingly through the palace's many corridors…until he was led down to the garden that he and his brother considered their own. He wasn't certain, but he thought he could see lights dancing in the waters of the fountain, spinning and twisting back and forth through the swiftly moving flow, all of different brightness and color.

_Come to us, lovely young prince. Come to us, Kili of the dark eyes. Come dance in the twilight._

"Dance?" he mumbled in a daze, reaching out a hesitant hand to touch the dazzling water. Rather than the normal cold, the water felt strangely warm to his touch.

_Come be with us, child of twilight. Drink of our wonder and know us. Your soul belongs to us now. Give yourself over to us, Kili._

Still hesitant, but hopelessly lost in the trance, Kili withdrew his hand from the fountain, a handful of the enchanted water cupped delicately in his palm. Drawing his hand to his lips, he drank the water down, feeling it warm the chill in his body. A hazy smiling lighting his face, the prince leaned forward once more to touch the water…and when his fingers came into contact with it, he vanished without a trace, leaving the garden just as dark and silent as before his arrival.

XxX

_For near on a year, the war raged on. The two brothers continued to write to each other, but with each passing month, the elder grew worried. His love's letters were not the warm, passionate words of love that kept his heart strong in the face of the fighting. The letters became short greetings, wishing for his health and stating he was well. The notes were almost curt in their nature, leaving the prince feeling like his brother was angry with him. Always he would beg for him to tell him what was wrong in his own letters, but the younger prince never once acknowledged his pleas. Even more worrisome were the letters the king received from the prince's guardian, stating that the prince had become cold and distant…that he was rude to the people he'd once counted as friends and that his complexion had grown pale, though there was no sickness that the physicians could divine._

_ The golden-haired prince was worried for his brother to the point of sickness himself, and ever he longed to return home to try and heal whatever had happened, but always the fighting seemed to intensify, leaving no opportunity to return to his brother._

_ The opportunity did not come until they had triumphed completely over their enemies. The peace treaty between the two kingdoms came with the beginnings of marriage talks for the golden-haired prince and the neighboring king's oldest daughter, which displeased the prince greatly, but he made no argument. Nothing mattered to him except being able to return home and see his brother._

_ What he found when he arrived home, though, was much more disheartening than he could have ever imagined._

XxX

Fili hadn't needed to ask upon arriving at the palace. He'd felt certain Kili would be in their garden, so he headed straight there.

Well, Kili _was_ in the garden…but it was not a sight Fili at all wanted to see.

There was a servant attending to the young prince, who was sitting beside the fountain in the center of the garden. Kili took a tankard from the tray the servant held out to him and took a drink from it, but almost immediately, his face went sour and he flung the drink to the ground, splashing it everywhere.

"This ale is still warm!" he shouted at the poor girl. "I won't stand for this sort of thing!"

"It was chilled for two hours, Your Highness," the girl said, going to pick up the fallen tankard.

"Are you arguing with me?" Kili demanded in a low voice, his eyes going dark.

"N-no, Majesty. Never."

"Good. Now, little girl, either bring me a properly chilled drink or I'll have you turned out…and with your looks, I doubt you could even get work as a brothel girl, so you'd better take care to hold onto this job."

For several minutes, all Fili could do was stare in shock as the young serving girl rushed past him with tears in her eyes. Kili looked ungodly pleased with himself as he lounged by the fountain. More than his expression, though, was the fact that Balin's letters hadn't exaggerated in any way. Kili was very pale…not the pale of illness, but of something…almost otherworldly. He was still beautiful…but not in the way that Fili knew and loved. It was like he was carved from marble and his features were painted on with the finest paints. He was something utterly untouchable…and the smug expression on his unbearably beautiful face was not something his beloved little brother would have ever worn before Fili had left. When he finally managed to speak, all he could get out was a tiny, shocked, "K-Kili?"

When Kili looked up, there was anger in his eyes, but it quickly melted away when he saw who called his name. For a brief moment, his cold, unearthly beauty also washed away and he almost looked to be the dwarf Fili had known.

"Fili?" he called softly, fear, sorrow, love, and uncertainty warring in his dark eyes as he reached out a hesitant hand toward him. "Is…is it really you?"

"It's me."

"I…I feared you would never return."

"Kili, what…what's _happened_ to you?"

At this, the otherworldly guise seemed to return and Kili was cold and pale again. He sneered at Fili as he rose from the fountain.

"Nothing that wouldn't have happened anyway…whether you had left or not," he said, brushing past Fili on his way out of the garden, leaving the older prince confused and hurt.

XxX

"It started off slowly," Balin began to explain to Thorin, Dwalin, and Fili. "It didn't seem to begin until some four months after you'd left, but it was just little things at first. He stopped talking…and he wouldn't eat much. For a time, he really did look sick and it seemed he was almost fading away to nothing. But then this…this strangeness you see started to happen. It was almost like he crystallized. Turned into something…something…"

"Unearthly," Fili said softly, not looking at any of them.

"Yes…just so," Balin said sadly. "And when that happened, the cruelty came with it. He is impudent toward the nobles and the other councilors and he's harsh to the servants. We've tried talking to him about all of it, but he won't listen to anyone. And of course along with all of this, there's the mystery of his shoes."

"Shoes?" Thorin pressed. "You never wrote of that."

"I wasn't completely certain how to explain the situation. I'm _still_ not certain. What's been happening is that…every morning he seems to have worn out a new pair of shoes, wonderfully crafted boots of the finest, strongest leather completely worn through…as if he'd been walking for miles. I've asked him over and over where it is he goes at night to wear out perfectly good shoes, but he says he goes nowhere…that he's asleep in bed all night."

"So have a guard set on him," Dwalin said irritably.

"Don't you think I've tried that?" Balin asked, wringing his hands slightly as he started to pace the meeting room. "Many times I have tried to set a guard on him, but each time the guard has vanished by morning…and Kili claims to know nothing of it."

"How many have vanished?" Thorin asked.

"Eight in total. Even Oin volunteered to stay up and keep watch. He's gone now, too. Thorin…the rumors are beginning to resurface…of the events surrounding Kili's birth. There are whispers that there is evil magic in the palace…that Kili is a witch child. They are _afraid,_ Thorin."

"Kili's no such thing!" Fili lashed out violently. "None of it was his fault! I don't know what's going on here…but Kili's the victim of it somehow. I _know_ it!"

"Calm yourself, lad. I didn't say _I_ believed any of their claptrap. I'm only telling you what's happening."

"I'll stand guard tonight," Dwalin declared. "We'll get to the bottom of this business once and for all."

"Brother, are you certain? What if you-"

"Nothing will happen," Dwalin said firmly. "We'll figure this out. I'll stand guard outside the princes' chamber tonight and if there's even one whisper that something's out of place, I'll sound the alarm."

"Oh…Kili no longer sleeps in their chamber," Balin said.

"What?" Fili asked, feeling hurt stab at his heart all over again.

"No one really knows why, but he started sleeping in a guest chamber on the other side of the palace. I wouldn't…advise going to him tonight. If you want him…you'll have to let him come to you."

"A-all right," Fili stuttered quietly, struggling not to show just how hurt he really was. He could only pray that Kili _would_ come to him tonight…so that they could rediscover each other…make love as they used to…and _talk_ about what was happening to him. If anyone could get Kili to open up, surely _he_ could.

XxX

Fili was happy when Kili showed up at his door that night, but the happiness didn't last long once Kili had entered the room that had once been theirs. He pushed Fili back into the chamber, forcefully shoving him down onto the bed.

"So…you've been home all of a day and you still haven't given your _beloved baby brother_ a kiss? It seems I need to _take_ what is due me, _dear brother,_" he snarled quietly, sneering as he crawled on top of Fili's body…and as Fili looked up into his dark eyes, he knew fear…fear in a place he had never felt it before. Their bedchamber had once been sacred to them. It had been the hallowed place of their union and they had once promised never to let anything defile it. Fili knew, though, as Kili uncaringly stripped him of his clothing, that their chamber had been defiled a long time ago. Something had taken his brother from him…taken him and corrupted him…and he had no idea what it could be.

"You're so quiet, Fili," Kili teased as he ran his fingers and tongue all along his body, but it wasn't with the same warmth and tenderness they had shared what now seemed to be a lifetime ago, rather than a mere fifteen months. The way Kili touched him now…reminded him of the way a drunken soldier would take a whore…like he _owned_ him in some way…and it made Fili feel sick to his stomach. "Didn't you miss me, Brother? Won't you tell me how much you _love_ me?!" he demanded as he shoved a finger inside his body without any warning or preparation.

Fili cried out in pain, wriggling helplessly beneath his brother. "Kili, please…please stop! You're hurting me!"

Kili didn't seem to care, though. He continued to thrust the finger in and out, grinning wickedly when he felt his brother's blood beginning to collect in his palm. "_Say it,_ Fili. _Tell me,_ beloved," he hissed.

"_Yes_…I…I missed you. I love you, Kili," he cried out, struggling very hard not to scream.

"Good," Kili soothed as he finally withdrew his finger. "Perhaps I'll be a little more gentle with you now," he said, rolling away briefly and reaching into the side draw where they kept their oil.

Fili knew he should have run when Kili had given him that small chance…but he could never run from Kili. He could never turn away from him…no matter how hideous and dark his once bright spirit had become. So he remained, lying where Kili had left him on the bed, injured in body and broken in soul, prepared to take whatever punishment fate saw fit to dole out for failing to protect his dear brother from whatever it was that had happened to him.

As he'd promised, Kili was a little more gentle with him after that, oiling his fingers up well to stretch him out properly and giving his hard cock the same treatment, but as the younger dwarf had already injured him, had already torn his entrance very badly, the sex was not in any way enjoyable. The whimpers Fili gave while Kili fucked him were only of pain and nothing of pleasure. He could hardly remain on his hands and knees when Kili forced him up onto all fours so that he could fuck him harshly from behind. Fili didn't know how he hadn't broken down in tears by the time they were finished…he was lying naked on the bed while Kili lay on top of him, still mostly clothed.

"That was _most_ enjoyable, Brother mine. Thank you. You're quite the little _slut_; did you know that? Did you let all of Uncle's soldiers _fuck_ you in that war camp? That's so awful…especially since I've been nothing but faithful to you. It doesn't matter, though. I'll still love you. I'll still let you into my bed. Who else could love you, after all?"

It was these words, more than anything that had come before them, that hurt Fili. Tears began to pour down his face as he shoved his brother away and rolled onto his side to look at him, despite how much it hurt his body to move.

"What's happened to you?! This isn't right! You're not…_you're not the Kili I know anymore!_" he screamed at him, tears flowing freely down his face…and as he watched him break down, Kili's cold, harsh exterior seemed to crack once more, revealing a little of the warm, loving dwarf trapped beneath it. Horror filled his eyes as he reached a hand out to touch him.

"What…what did I just…what have I done?" he whispered in shock, several tears falling down his cheeks when Fili flinched away from his touch.

"Kili?" Fili whispered, looking up into his eyes, praying for the dwarf he loved to return…but at the sound of his voice, the otherworldly mask was suddenly back in place and Kili was sneering down at him again.

"Sleep well, my love," he said, leaning down to kiss his lips, forcing Fili's face against his so that he couldn't flinch away. Fili felt himself near the point of suffocation by the time Kili allowed him to breathe again. "I'll continue sleeping elsewhere for now…give you some time to think about what you've done," he said before righting his clothes and sweeping out of the chamber, leaving Fili broken on the bed…and once he had gone, Fili could do nothing more than cry himself to sleep.

XxX

_Unfortunately, the king's bodyguard did in fact vanish when he set about the task of guarding the younger prince…and still the young dwarf claimed to know nothing about the disappearances. He told them he had been asleep in bed all night and no one could prove otherwise. Worried over his brother, the king's councilor also took up the task of guarding the prince, and also vanished straight away. Fear began to stalk the palace, following in the wake of the cold, cruel princeling._

_ Several days passed that the elder prince spent lying in bed, giving himself time to heal. He didn't tell his uncle what had happened for fear that he might punish his brother. He needn't have worried, though. The king was far too caught up in the disappearances to trouble himself with much else. Even the marriage talks were put on hold, which the prince had no objection to…but there was still the matter of the wicked enchantment that had clearly been laid upon his brother. After the councilor's disappearance, the king started offering a reward to anyone who could discover the young prince's secret. After ten disappearances, though, no one was quite brave enough to try and discover it._

_ When he was up on his feet again, the prince tried to avoid his brother as best he could, which the younger made somewhat difficult. He spent a lot of time in their garden, where the golden-haired prince would have preferred to spend his time. When the younger prince was off elsewhere, the elder snuck what time he could in the once peaceful garden. He had always been able to find safety within it, safety and council when his thoughts were troubled…and even as hopeless as the current situation seemed…it appeared that there was still council to be had in the garden._

XxX

The day was nearing its end, and even though Fili knew he didn't want Kili finding him in the dark, he was also still afraid to return to his own room for fear Kili might find him there. Kili hadn't come to him since that first night, but he was still afraid he might return because he knew he wouldn't run…even if his brother had plans to hurt him again.

The elder prince was sitting curled up against the tree where they'd shared their first kiss, remembering with fondness and sadness how very much in love they had been. He loved Kili still…but it seemed now that those feelings were no longer returned.

"What can I do?" he whispered, resting a hand against the cool bark of the tree. "What do I do? I promised I would protect him…but I don't know _how._ How do I save him?"

It was only a moment later, running his hand along the bark, that Fili noticed something different. There was a vine growing up the tree, and when he followed it to its end, he found an unopened moonflower bud. It was a little early for the night flowers to be showing their blossoms, so he was almost surprised when the bud suddenly burst into bloom…only this little flower didn't have the typical white petals of a moonflower. They began as such, but the lacy petals ended in a color that more closely resembled gold. It really was lovely, but Fili's next thought was that it probably wasn't good for the tree to have a moonflower vining with it, so he plucked the golden flower and placed it behind his ear before gently pulling the vine down from the tree and heading out of the garden.

His first indication that something was different was when he stumbled upon Kili on his way back to his room. For a moment, he froze, waiting for his brother to send some stinging barb his way…but Kili said nothing. In fact, he didn't even seem to see him. For yet a moment more, Fili hesitated. Had Kili sunk so low as to simply not acknowledge his existence at all? He wasn't sure which would be more painful. Finally, unable to take not knowing, he turned and called out to his brother.

"Kili?"

Nothing. Kili kept walking. Surely he would have acknowledged him, even if only to insult him. Just when he was thinking Kili really was ignoring him, he turned to look at himself in one of the mirrors that lined the corridor…and quickly discovered what it was that had changed.

He had no reflection. Where he should have been standing in the middle of the corridor, there was nothing. Running his hands along his face to reassure himself he _was_ still there, his hand brushed against the flower he'd so lately tucked behind his ear. Quickly plucking it free, Fili found his reflection soon shifting back into being before the mirror. Testing it a few more times, he came to the conclusion that it was, in fact, the flower that was causing whatever this was. Perhaps…he _had_ found his answers in the garden after all. Perhaps this was his chance to discover what was happening to Kili. Tucking the flower securely behind his ear once more, he hurried after Kili, who had nearly reached his new bedchamber.

As Kili was opening the door, Fili kicked his boot hard against a small side table, sending it clattering a few feet forward. Kili's head immediately snapped back.

"Who's there?!" he demanded, firing an angry glare into the seemingly empty corridor. "I'm warning you, if you don't show yourself, you'll regret it!"

While Kili made his empty threats, Fili quickly snuck around him, never once indicating his presence. He set himself up beside a wardrobe just as Kili entered the room, closing the door behind him.

Fili kept completely silent while Kili got ready for bed, didn't even dare to sit down once he was tucked beneath the blankets. He remained leaning against the far wall of the chamber, mostly keeping his attention focused on Kili, but also making sure to check the door and the two windows for any sign of activity. There was nothing, though, not for several hours…when Kili's eyes suddenly snapped open.

Fili gasped faintly…and had clapped a hand over his mouth before remembering that Kili couldn't hear him. He watched as his little brother slowly sat up in bed. He seemed to look around without really seeing anything, as his eyes were glazed over, as if in a trance. Then he rose and began to strip out of his nightclothes, moving to dress himself again, only this time in a very fine set of clothes, as if he were to attend some sort of important gathering. All the while, Kili didn't seem to be aware of anything around him or what he was doing. It was almost like he was sleepwalking with his eyes open.

When he was finally ready, Kili went to the full-length mirror on the other side of the wardrobe. Fili moved around just in time to see him lay a hand on it and watch it slide to the side, revealing a hidden passage way behind it. When Kili stepped through, Fili followed after him before the mirror had a chance to slide back into place. The passage was lit by a very dim blue glow that he couldn't see the source of; nor could he see the end of the passage. So far as he could tell, it was just a set of stairs heading down, so he followed Kili…down, down, down…until they came to a great wooden door, ornately inlaid with patterns of emerald vines, but with no lock or handle that Fili could see. Kili didn't actually open the door, though. As he'd done with the mirror, he simply laid his hand against the wood and it opened for him, barely allowing Fili to slip through before it closed behind them.

When he emerged, Fili was almost surprised to see that they'd come out into their garden. When he looked behind him, though, the door they'd just come through had already vanished. Before he could ponder much on the mystery of this, his gaze was drawn back by a strange light.

The fountain seemed to have almost caught fire with the myriad of mysterious lights dancing within its waters. Fili stared, mesmerized for several moments, before realizing that Kili was heading to the fountain. Quickly, he followed him, coming up right beside him and seeing a warm smile stretch his lips, though his eyes were still glassy and unfocused. Reaching forward, he cupped some of the water in his hands and drank it down. Hesitating only a moment, Fili copied his actions, feeling the water strangely warm in his palms before he gulped it down. He was momentarily distracted by the pleasant movement of the water into his body and almost didn't see Kili reach out to touch it. He only saw the moment he vanished.

Starting in shock, his hand reached out to brush the warm water and he was instantly pulled through. He felt himself pass through some sort of soft, warm curtain and then found himself tumbling to the ground.

Hurriedly looking up, he found himself in a forest…only it was unlike any forest he'd ever seen. The trees appeared to be made of silver. Before he could think over long on this, though, he noticed that Kili was moving off ahead of him, so he quickly followed…and as they moved through the mysterious twilight forest, the branches on the trees seemed to shift from silver to gold, and then the branches appeared to be hung with precious gems. Fili hardly noticed any of the enchanted splendor, though, for he kept his focus on his brother, moving through the forest as if half asleep.

When they finally reached the forest's end, they arrived at a lake. A boat was waiting to take Kili across and far and away over the deep, black waters, there was an island, upon which stood a magnificent castle of silver and black marble. Kili drifted toward the boat, climbing gracefully into it…and hardly seemed to notice the shifting of the craft when Fili clumsily scrambled in.

Once the young prince was settled, the boat began to move on its own, carrying them both across the lake, to the island. A cloaked figure was waiting on the shore to help Kili up out of the boat, a figure who was very tall in comparison to the young dwarf…and Fili could not deny the small spike of jealousy he felt when the figure knelt and kissed Kili's hand, followed by a soft, "Welcome back, Your Highness. The others are all waiting for you."

When the tall figure began to lead Kili away, Fili climbed out of the boat and followed quickly behind them, entering the grand palace and an equally grand ballroom, where a crowd of elegantly dressed figures awaited: tall figures with fair faces, fair skin and hair, and ears that tapered to a point.

_Elves,_ Fili realized in horror as Kili was brought among them. _They_ were the cause of this wicked enchantment upon his brother, the cause of the change in him. Why? What could they possibly want with Kili? What were they going to do with him? It seemed that the only thing to do was to observe and find out.

Kili was led first to an elf who seemed grander than all the rest, dressed in robes of gold and white with a magnificent crown atop his head: the elven king, surely. Even though the height difference was rather glaring, when an orchestra began to play, the pair began to dance, and all around them, other couples also began to join in the swirl of the music. Fili kept to the side at all times, being careful that no one crashed into him, but all the while, he kept his attention on Kili and the king. He could see the elf stroking his brother's hair and saying things to him, feeling certain they were horribly degrading things from the way the king was smirking condescendingly down at him…like a pet.

Fili was almost relieved when Kili was given to another partner, but then he began to notice that there were other dwarves in the crowd of revelers…in fact, they were the very same dwarves who had vanished in the cause of discovering Kili's secret: Oin and Gloin, Bifur, Bofur, and Bombur, Dori, Nori, and Ori, and now Balin and Dwalin, all of them dressed in opulent finery and dancing with elven partners, just as helplessly bespelled as Kili was. Fili became so caught up in watching the dance and listening to the music that he nearly fell under its spell himself…and had he fallen prey to the hypnotic rhythm, he would surely have walked onto the floor and continued to dance with the others for an eternity…but somehow he managed to shake the enchantment off, searching again for Kili in the whirling crowd.

When he finally found his brother, he'd been given to yet another partner, an elf who looked very much like the king…a prince, perhaps? This elf was not like others, though. He did not sneer down at Kili or treat him like a little pet. He smiled in genuine happiness as he and Kili danced together. He held him close and every so often, he would lean down and press a tender kiss to his lips. Kili never reciprocated, of course, enthralled as he was, but Fili couldn't help the pain and jealousy that sparked in his chest as he watched them together, and it was this that kept him strong against the spell attempting to overthrow his mind.

The elven prince remained with Kili for the rest of the evening, and for many long hours, they danced…danced and danced until Kili had actually managed to wear through the soles of the fine new boots he'd put on to come here. When the dancing finally came to an end, the crowd adjourned to a banquet hall, where a feast had been laid out for them.

The elven prince led Kili to the table, sitting with him and feeding him as he ate his own food, and also seeing that they both had plenty to drink. Once the pair had eaten and drunk their fill, the prince helped Kili up from the table and led him out of the hall, up several flights of stairs and into a very lavish bedchamber. All the while, Fili followed close behind.

The moment the prince thought they were alone, he began to kiss Kili again. There were several rounds of kissing before he tenderly began to strip Kili of his fine clothing, until he stood naked in the middle of the room. The elf continued to smile at him as he removed his own clothing. Then he led Kili to the bed, sitting down on the edge and parting his legs for him. Then he guided Kili to his knees on the floor before him.

"Come on, my love. I can't believe I still have to show you how everything works after nearly a year of this," the elf said with a chuckle, gently guiding Kili's head to his already engorged sex. When his nose bumped against the hardened flesh, Kili finally seemed to take the hint and began to lick it, slowly, up and down, tracing every inch with his tongue. It took all of Fili's control not to jump in and tear Kili away. Even though he understood this was some sort of spell, it still hurt him terribly to see Kili like this with another person.

_It's only a spell. He wouldn't do this if he were in his right mind. He wouldn't betray you like this. The dwarf you love is still in there somewhere,_ he reminded himself constantly.

The elf moaned rather loudly as Kili sucked him; a grin of pleasure spread across his face as he buried his fingers in the dwarf's silky dark tresses.

"Oh…oh, Kili, I love you so," he groaned, his body thrusting rhythmically up against the young prince's mouth. After a time, he seized Kili's head and forced him all the way down on his sex, whimpering in delight as he spilled down his throat. Kili did not resist.

When the elf prince had finally finished, he slowly pulled out of Kili's mouth, leaving a small trail of cum and saliva dribbling from the corner of his mouth. Still grinning, the elf prince leaned forward to kiss him very deeply, tongue plunging as far into his mouth as he could go. All the while, Kili's gaze remained utterly blank. The prince then pulled back, chuckling as he kissed Kili's nose.

"Well, now I suppose it's time for the _real_ fun," he said, helping Kili up onto the bed and guiding him to lie down on his stomach. Then he produced a bottle of oil from seemingly nowhere, pulling out the ornate glass stopper and dribbling the slick stuff all over his fingers. Then he began to press a single slicked digit inside Kili's body.

Fili knew he couldn't bear to watch this…but at the same time, he couldn't bring himself to look away. In order to stop whatever plot they had, whatever dark purpose they had for his baby brother, he had to understand all of what they were doing to him.

The elf prince worked diligently to open Kili, meticulously adding one oil-slicked finger after another and gently thrusting and scissoring with each new addition, until he seemed to think Kili sufficiently ready for him. Then he slicked up his cock, already hard and dripping once again, and slowly began to push it inside Kili.

"Hngh…oh, Kili…lovely Kili…you're so tight…so warm…just like the first time we made love. It's almost…_oh_…like you come to me as a virgin every night. Oh…Kili…my love…" he moaned and grunted as he thrust gently into Kili's body, over and over and over again. It almost seemed to Fili that he continued to thrust for hours and hours before finally finishing with an obscenely loud cry, spilling deep inside Kili as he collapsed on top of him.

After they had lain entwined like this for several minutes, the elf laughed quietly as he rolled off of Kili, lying on his side and moving Kili to face him. Even now, the young dwarf's eyes were still glassy with enchantment. Throughout all the elf's intense and passionate lovemaking, Kili had not given one single reaction. The only sign he'd even had sex at all was the damp and sticky spot on the sheets where his now limp cock had been pressed…that and the elven cum now dripping down his thighs. Fili shuddered in disgust before turning his gaze back up to Kili's empty eyes.

The elf prince leaned in for a fresh round of kissing, and when he'd had his fill of that, he pressed another tender kiss to the younger prince's forehead and whispered to him, "Sleep now, my darling. I know you must be tired after all this merriment."

Immediately, Kili was asleep, almost faster than a candle being blown out, and as he fell into deep slumber, the elf pulled him into his arms, cradling him close as they lay together.

"Soon, my love…soon," he said softly. "In only a few more nights, it will have been one year since you first came to my bed…and we all know what happens on that last night. The spell will be complete and your body will finally be receptive to my seed. After all this time, you will finally become pregnant. You will bear my child and become my consort…and we shall rule both worlds together. Oh, Kili, we're going to have a child together. You can't imagine how happy I am," he said, slipping a hand between them to rest against Kili's belly. "Then we will never have to be parted again…and you will love me…truly. I can't wait for you to finally wake to me," he said, smiling languidly, stroking Kili's hair as he slept in his arms. After a time, though, the elf's smile shifted to something sad and he slowly began to extricate himself from Kili.

The elf prince first dressed himself, then dressed Kili back in his fine clothes. That done, he pressed another kiss to Kili's lips and lifted him into his arms. Fili followed him as he carried him down the many levels of stairs and out of the mysterious twilight palace. Though it had never been tied down, the boat still waited for them on the shore, and Fili climbed aboard before the elf so that he hopefully wouldn't notice anything amiss.

Once the elf was settled, still cradling Kili tenderly in his arms, the boat began to move, carrying them all back across the lake, to the bejeweled forest. This time Fili let the elf disembark first, following once he'd moved several paces away. Stopping a moment to think, though, Fili reached up and plucked a small bejeweled twig from one of the tree branches, which came free with a rather loud snap.

The elf prince whirled around, but of course, saw no one there. Hesitating several moments, he finally shook his head and continued on.

Fili repeated the action when they passed through the forest of gold and the forest of silver. Each time, the elf prince turned, hesitating a little longer.

"Who's there?" he finally called after Fili had broken off a twig from a silver tree. Fili made no answer of course, and the elf finally turned away with a small growl of frustration. At the end of the forest, they came to a small waterfall that glowed with the same mysterious fairy light that had lit the fountain. The elf prince reached out a hand to touch the glowing water and promptly vanished. Fili followed close behind, touching the water and feeling himself pulled to the other side of the portal once more. As he'd expected, he tumbled out of the fountain and into the garden. The prince was nearly all the way across it and when Fili looked beyond him, he found that the door had once again appeared in the wall.

Leaping to his feet, Fili sprinted after them, once again just barely managing to slip through the door. The prince paused, as if he'd felt the whisper of air rush past him, but ultimately shrugged and continued on. Fili raced up the stairs ahead of them, exiting out the mirror and into Kili's room. He turned in time to see the elf emerge from the secret entrance and come to the bed. Being gentle all the while, he changed Kili into his nightclothes and put away the dancing finery. Then he tucked Kili into bed, stroking his hair for a final time.

"You are so beautiful…my Kili. I wish I could lie with you in your own bed…but dawn approaches. Don't worry, my love…three more nights only. Three more nights. I love you. Good night, Kili," he said, leaning in to press one last kiss to his lips. Then he was up, moving back through the hidden entrance; the mirror slid back into place and the secret pathway disappeared entirely, leaving Fili alone in the room with his sleeping brother, shocked and amazed at everything he'd seen.

XxX

_So the golden-haired prince now knew, now knew of the secret curse that haunted his brother's footsteps. If, as he suspected, his brother was in some sort of trance when everything was happening, then he __**was**__ truly unaware of what the elves were doing to him…what they were using him for._

_ The only trouble was the elder prince wasn't at all certain what to do with his newfound knowledge. What could their uncle do if he went to him with the truth? Would he even believe him? The only proof he really had were the three twigs he'd taken from the twilight forests, and if the king were to go and see for himself, he would most likely just fall under the spell like all the others. In fact, the prince was almost certain the only reason __**he**__ hadn't was because of the golden flower. It did more than keep him invisible. It protected him from the elven magic. _

_ Perhaps…the way to break this spell didn't lie in seeking outside help. Perhaps it lay in awakening his brother from the enchantment…in making him realize what was happening to him. He didn't have anything truly solid to go on, only hunches and vague ideas, but that was really all he had at the moment, so he decided to test out his theory that very afternoon._

XxX

"Ho, Kili!" Fili called out as they passed each other in a corridor. Kili stopped and sneered at him a moment.

"Hello, Brother. Why do you interrupt me? Could it be you'd like another night with me?"

"I only want to ask you something. Do you recognize this?" he asked, pulling the twig from the silver tree out of his tunic.

Kili stared for a moment, eyes shifting in and out of focus, as if he were trying to recall something long forgotten.

"Where…did you…get this?" he asked slowly, reaching out a hand, as if to touch the silvery trinket…but then his gaze snapped back into focus and he glared at Fili. "I've never seen it before in my life. No more tricks, Beloved…or I will do things to you that will make you _wish_ I had only lain with you."

The warning unnerved him somewhat, but Fili did notice a change in his brother when he was summoned from his sleep by the enchantment. His glazed eyes seemed to occasionally clear as he made his journey to the twilight realm, like he realized something was happening, but couldn't quite manage to wake himself up. He would sometimes miss his footing in the dancing, and sometimes try to stop the elven prince from feeding him at the dinner table. Then, when the prince led him to his chamber for their nightly activities, Kili would occasionally place a hand against his chest, as if to stop him…but the prince managed to soothe him with kisses and gentle words and the spell was able to take hold again, until the prince was able to finish his lovemaking and put Kili back to sleep. Though it still broke his heart to watch them together, Fili felt the faint stirrings of hope in his heart. There _was_ a way to save Kili. He _could_ break this spell…but he knew it was only going to get harder when he saw the broken look in Kili's eyes upon showing him the golden twig the next afternoon.

This time, Kili really did reach out to touch the strange object, several tears falling down his cheeks as he looked into Fili's eyes.

"Fili, what…what's _happening?_" he whispered, his throat choking up with fear and guilt and grief.

"Kili, you've got to wake up," he pleaded with him, placing his hands on Kili's shoulders and gripping tightly. "I know you can do it. You've got to wake up before it's too late."

For a moment, the Kili he knew was still gazing back at him…but then the spell took control once more as he sneered and shoved Fili back. He didn't bother with threats or insults this time, though. He just walked away…and when Fili followed him that night, it was even harder to watch him struggle to wake up. He struggled when putting his dancing clothes on, stopped many times on the way to the black lake and kept looking back on the ride over. Several times he attempted to back out of the dances, but wasn't permitted to, and when he was led to the dinner table, he actually managed to say he wasn't hungry before the spell seized him and the elf prince began to feed him with a worried look in his eyes. The hardest thing to endure, though, was watching the elf prince take him to bed once more.

As the prince worked to lay him bare, Kili actually managed to put up a bit of a fight, weakly pushing the elf away from him.

"No…no…" he mumbled over and over again as the elf prince laid him down on the bed.

"What's wrong tonight, Kili? You weren't wearing any iron. I really don't see what could be affecting the spell so much. Well…no matter. After tonight, only one more night remains. Then you and I will be together…forever," he said gently as he began to make love to the young dwarf.

Even though Kili couldn't make his body resist, all throughout, he kept whispering, "No…no…", pleading for it all to stop as tears ran down his face. Fili also found himself weeping as he followed the elf prince back to his own land with his sleeping brother in his arms.

"Tomorrow night, my love," the prince promised as he kissed Kili good night. "Then this long separation will end. Father has promised we'll be married…just as soon as we know for sure."

"You've got a lot of nerve, elf," Fili spoke from where he was concealed in the shadows, having risked removing the moonflower's protection in order to speak to the prince, "saying you love him when you steal him from his bed every night…when you make love to him while he's bespelled and _can't_ consent. You have some gall to talk of love…when you _kidnap_ and _rape_ him while he's unaware."

"Who's there?!" the elf demanded, glaring fiercely as his eyes searched the darkness.

"One who would protect the boy…only do not seek for me. If you do, I will vanish and you will forget that I ever was. Now answer my question, elf. How is what you have done to him love?"

For a moment, the elf prince looked uncertain. His voice was distant and wavering when he began to speak again. "I have loved him…from the very first. My father showed him to me…when he was first born…and said he was mine. I've watched him grow…and fallen in love a little more every day…waiting for him to finally be old enough to come to me. I've waited so long for us to be together."

"And what about how he feels? Did you know he loves another?" Fili pressed, unable to completely conceal the tiny note of anger in his voice.

"That…that wasn't real love. He hadn't met _me_ yet. His brother was only taking advantage of him," the elf insisted angrily.

"And _has_ he met you yet? Kili has never known you, elf prince. You are nothing but a fey voice in his ear, a darkness that comes in his nightmares. Are you certain he would still share his body with you if he were truly awake? How are you so sure he would love you when he learns what you've _done_ to him?"

"My father says that…once the spell is complete…he will finally be allowed to wake up. He will wake to me and our love will blossom…exactly as it was meant to."

"We will see," Fili said calmly, and when it seemed the elf was about to fire an argument back at him, Kili stirred in his sleep, whimpering as if in pain.

"F-Fili…" he called out softly. When the elf heard this, he looked hurt, but managed to shake it off.

"We will indeed. He needs his rest, so I shall take my leave. The truth will be revealed plain enough tomorrow night. Farewell, guardian. Your charge will soon pass to me," he said before moving back through the mirror.

"We will see," Fili repeated once the elf had gone, gazing at the mirror through eyes narrowed to slits.

XxX


	2. Part Two

**Part Two**

Though he had displayed calm when confronting the elf prince, his nerves were on edge all throughout the day as he waited for his chance to speak with Kili. He knew it was more than likely his last chance if he was to have any hope of awakening him. He didn't say anything when he confronted him outside the garden. He simply held out the bejeweled twig: a branch of some sort of yellow stone with a large sapphire hanging from the end…and waited for his brother's reaction.

For a long while, Kili said nothing. Then he reached out and took the twig in his hands, memory shining strongly in his eyes along with the tears…just before they spilled over, flowing freely down his face.

"They…they always reminded me…of your eyes…those sapphires," he said softly. Then he looked into Fili's eyes, crying quietly for several moments before suddenly flinging the twig aside and running the other way.

"Kili! Wait!" Fili called after him, trying to give chase, but Kili quickly disappeared among the castle grounds. Fili searched for him all day, despairing of finding him before their time ran out…but was pleasantly surprised when Kili came to him in their bedroom. He wasn't fully trapped in the spell, but he wasn't completely himself, either.

"Fili!" he cried out, collapsing into his arms. "I don't…I don't understand what's happening. I can't make sense of any of it…but I'm afraid. I'm afraid this might be our last night together. I don't know what to do. I can't stop it. I don't know what's happening to me. I don't know what's real anymore!" he sobbed, and Fili gently stroked his hair as he held him.

"_I'm_ real," he soothed him, kissing the top of his head. "If you can trust nothing else…trust me. Trust _us._"

"Fili…Fili…" he whispered several times, clinging to him. "I know I…I've hurt you. I'm so sorry. I could see it happening, but I…I couldn't stop it. I'm sorry. Will you ever forgive me?"

"I never blamed you. It wasn't you. We can still break this spell that has hold of you.

You just have to trust me," he tried to reassure him.

"I…I trust you…but I'm still afraid. I don't know why. I just feel that…something will happen tonight…something that can never _un_happen…and it frightens me. I just…I just want you to hold me tonight. Hold me…kiss me…make love to me. I want to be with you. _Please,_ Fili."

"All right…all right," the older prince said softly as he led Kili to their bed, gently coaxing him to lie down on the large, soft mattress. Maybe…if he could keep Kili here purely through the strength of his touch and his love…maybe he could prevent him from harkening to the enchanted call at all. So he gave Kili all of his attention…all of his love and devotion, praying it might be enough to save him.

He began with simple kisses, drawing them back to the days of the first bloom of their love. He kissed Kili until his little brother was more at ease, returning kiss for kiss and caress for caress.

"Will…will you be all right if I…" he started to ask, hands slipping beneath his tunic.

"Yes," Kili reassured him, offering him a small smile as he helped him pull the tunic over his head. Then Kili reached forward and easily pulled his tunic off, undoing his belt and slipping it free almost as an afterthought. Fili returned the smile with one of his own, happy to finally see the dwarf he loved so much after their long separation. Even though he felt welcomed and wanted now, he still proceeded slowly…just incase he did something his brother didn't like.

Kili continued to smile as Fili worked to get his belt and trousers off. Once he'd managed it, the younger prince sat up and drew him into a kiss. At first, it was light, lips joined, with only their fingers twining together in a gentle hold. Then they shifted, moving until they were holding each other close and kissing very deeply. It was almost as if they were virgins again, exploring each other for the first time. They shared in this re-exploration for several minutes before Kili slowly tilted his head back, allowing Fili to move down onto his neck.

"Ungh…Fili…take me. Please take me," he begged. "We don't have much time."

"All right," Fili agreed, quickly reaching for their bottle of oil. When the scent hit his nose, he experienced a moment of trepidation he hadn't expected, but was able to work through it easily enough when Kili pressed another kiss to his lips. Then he began to dribble the stuff onto his fingers, tracing it slowly and deliberately around the entrance to his brother's body.

Kili writhed beneath him when he finally entered him, urging him deeper with each tiny roll of his body, groaning in pleasure at the addition of each new digit.

"Yes…please…" he panted when Fili took a small moment to remove his own trousers and to slick a good deal of oil onto his cock. "Put it in me. Need you in me…Fili…Brother…my love…"

"Soon…soon…" Fili soothed as he positioned himself against Kili's body, the now slick hole already beginning to ease open around the head of his prick. He already had the younger dwarf crying out in pleasure when he was only head deep inside him.

"More…more…" he whimpered, trying to writhe up against him to get more of him inside him, but Fili held him gently, moving at his own pace and making sure Kili felt every inch…felt how much he desired him to feel this.

"I love you," he said softly once he was fully sheathed in his body. As he traced his face with tender kisses, he pulled Kili up into his arms, shifting so that he was seated on the bed while Kili straddled his lap, allowing him to penetrate even deeper. Kili moaned in pleasure, body writhing to get him deeper still. As he moved in him over and over again, he trailed his hands up and down Kili's back, feeling the solidness and the reality of him in his arms. "Feel me…do you feel me…my Kili? Feel me inside you…"

"I feel you," Kili panted back, gripping his brother tighter as his thighs began to quiver. It wouldn't be long now. "Fili…I love you!" he cried out, tears spilling down his cheeks as he buried his face in his shoulder. "I love you so."

"No one will take you from me," he growled, holding Kili tightly as he made love to him. "I love you…Brother…I will see all end in fire…before I lose you," he vowed as he laid a kiss to his ear.

"Fili…Fili…oh…ha…ah…_ah!_" he cried out when his body suddenly spilled over the edge, his seed bursting between their bodies in a hot stream of bliss. When he had emptied himself of every drop he had to give, he simply lay in Fili's arms in wonder and ecstasy, feeling every motion in his body as Fili continued to thrust into him.

"Come inside me, my love," he urged weakly. "_Fill me_ with your seed. I want…every _drop_ of you."

"As my prince…commands…_oh!_" he grunted in pleasure, one final thrust finally bringing him to his climax and spilling his semen deep inside Kili's body, soaking the most intimate parts of him.

For what felt like a long time to them, the lovers simply sat there, trembling weakly in each other's arms as they rode out the aftershocks of their orgasms. They held each other close, each laying tremulous, exultant kisses against the sweaty skin of the other.

"I love you. I love you," they whispered together, neither entirely certain if they spoke it or only thought it. Almost before either realized it, they were cuddled up together beneath the blankets, caught somewhere between waking and sleeping as they shared languid kisses and gentle caresses and strokes of the hair. Fili continued to cradle his brother even after he was no longer there. He was so besotted he almost didn't realize what was happening until it was too late.

Without his moonflower, he was not protected from the enchantment the elves sent against his brother every night. When he saw that Kili had risen from the bed and was struggling back into his clothes, he almost rose to join him…but when he realized what was happening, a surge of desperate anger flared to life in his heart, allowing him to roll onto his side and reach for the blossom lying on the bedside table. Just holding it was enough to give him strength to fight the enchantment.

"Fili," Kili pleaded with him once his clothes were on. His eyes had the glazed, glassy look of the spell, but he was somehow still talking to him. "You've got to get away from here. I don't know what will happen. Please…"

"No!" he snarled as he yanked his own clothes on. "I won't leave you. I won't let them have you."

"I can't…I can't stop it," he whispered in despair as the full-length mirror that adorned their own chamber slid aside to reveal the same secret passage.

"I can. _We_ can," he promised him, briefly clasping his hand in his. "We can stop it together. Just know that I'm with you…even if you can't see me," he said before tucking the moonflower behind his ear once more, rendering him invisible and protected against the elven magic that hung so thick in the air. Tears began to fall from Kili's eyes as he began the long journey into twilight.

The young prince moved very slowly down the hidden stairway and he spent several minutes fighting his own body before he finally raised his hand to open the hidden door. As he moved toward the enchanted fountain at the center of the garden, he looked back over his shoulder almost constantly, even though it didn't seem that his eyes could truly see. When his hands reached out to cup the water that would carry him through the gateway, he let it spill between his fingers several times before he was finally forced to drink it. All the while, Fili was right behind him.

"I'm frightened," he hissed, tears pouring openly down his face as they moved through the forests of the twilight realm. Somehow his eyes remained blank throughout. "Fili…Brother, I'm _frightened!_"

Fili wanted to speak, to comfort him, but he knew that Kili would never hear him so long as he wore the golden flower. All he could manage was a brief caress of his cheek…little more than the ghost of a touch…but it still seemed to be enough for Kili, because his lips lifted up slightly at the corners. When they boarded the boat to carry them across the black lake, Fili made certain to rattle the boat, ensuring Kili of his presence as best he could.

"You are late tonight, my prince," the elf who greeted him said. "Hurry, hurry, hurry. The others are all waiting most anxiously. Tonight is a special night. Prince Legolas is awaiting you eagerly."

Fili followed at a safe distance, heart breaking a little for every inch Kili struggled against the enchantment laid so heavily upon his soul. When his brother was led to the elf king, the majestic, ethereal figure tutted in disappointment.

"What sort of clothes do you call these, little prince? They are hardly suitable for a night like tonight. You must have proper clothes for your wedding night," he said, and with little more than a word and a wave of his hand, Kili's clothes were transformed into a handsome set of wedding clothes, crafted of fine deep blue silk and black velvet, adorned all about with trimmings of silver. Certainly, Kili had never looked more beautiful…at least, he would have, were it not for the tears pouring so violently down his face. The elf prince, Legolas, immediately moved in to take his hands in his when he noticed.

"My love…what's wrong? Why are you so sad?"

"This isn't…isn't _right,_" Kili argued, fighting with the words, struggling desperately to say what he needed to…but no matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't get it all out.

"Never fear, my son. It's only some pre-wedding nerves. He'll come around," the king insisted, taking Kili from his son. "Allow me the first dance of the evening, if you would be so kind. I'll help him calm some."

As the king led Kili around the dance floor, Fili could see him whispering to his brother…strengthening the enchantment, no doubt…and indeed, when he passed Kili back to Legolas, the tears and the protesting had stopped, but Kili was still shaking badly. He was still fighting.

As always, the dancing continued for many hours, right up until Kili had worn through the fine boots the elven king had crafted for him. When all the elves and their dwarven prisoners adjourned for dinner, though, Kili and Legolas did not join them. Legolas led Kili straight up to his chamber, Fili in hot pursuit all the while.

"Tonight!" the jubilant elf practically sang as he led the way into the chamber. "It will happen tonight. The moment my seed touches your body this night, the spell will be complete…and our child will be created. Oh, Kili, I'm so happy! Are you happy, too?"

Kili still couldn't speak, but that didn't mean he wasn't fighting his hardest against the curse. Tears were beginning to pour from his eyes as he slowly shook his head.

"So happy, you're weeping," Legolas immediately insisted as he slipped the fine silk and velvet coat from Kili's shoulders. "Don't worry, my love. We will marry tonight…just as soon as you're pregnant."

Kili's tears flowed all the faster as Legolas undressed him. Struggling against his own body, he drew his hands up and buried his face in them as the elf prince laid him down on the bed.

"No…no…don't…want you…don't want this. No!"

"_Stop!_" Fili demanded as he yanked the moonflower from behind his ear, revealing himself. Almost immediately, he felt the heaviness of enchantment begin to descend on him, just barely held at bay by the golden blossom in his hand.

"You!" Legolas snarled as he turned to face him. "It was _your_ voice I heard that night."

"Yes. _I_ am the one who protects Kili, and he just told you he doesn't want this. You've no right to do this to him," he said as he shoved between them, pushing the elf back and crouching over his brother.

"The spell isn't done yet. I just need to make love to him one more time. Then you'll see."

"You can never make love to him if he doesn't want you. That can only ever be _rape._ I won't let you hurt my brother anymore," he said, slipping out the other protective item he'd had in his tunic: a chain made of iron links. It wasn't much, but it was still iron; it would help Kili fight off the enchantment. He pressed a gentle kiss to his brother's lips before slipping the chain around his neck.

Finally, the glazed look left Kili's eyes and when he looked up to see Fili above him, he quickly threw his arms around him, his memory finally awakening.

"Oh, Fili, forgive me. _Please_ forgive me! I never wanted any of this. I never meant to betray you. I'm so sorry."

"I know. I know. It's all right," he soothed him, holding him gently. "I'm going to get you out of here. He won't-" Fili's words were suddenly interrupted when a tangle of vines wrapped around his body, tearing him away from Kili. Glancing to the side, he could see Legolas controlling the vines, summoning them from somewhere outside his chamber window.

"You will not take him from me!" the prince snarled. "I have waited too long for this night!" At his words, one of the vines wrapped around Fili's neck, squeezing hard, ready to strangle him.

"_No!_" Kili cried out, leaping up from the bed and falling to his knees before the elven prince. "Please, my prince! I beg of you to spare his life. Please have mercy!"

"He was going to take you away from me," Legolas insisted petulantly.

"I know, my…my love. But I won't go. I'll stay here…with you. I'll lie with you…and I'll bear your child. Only…please…don't kill my brother."

"No, Kili! _No!_" Fili cried out, struggling against the chokehold the vines had on him. "Don't do this! Don't give away your freedom for me! Forget about me! Just get out of here!"

All Kili did in response to this was offer him a weak smile. Of course he wasn't going to leave him. How could he…after everything he had done to save him? No. For the moment, he was free of the spell, and free to choose his own fate, so he slowly lay back down on the bed and parted his legs, offering himself in exchange for his beloved brother.

If Legolas saw what was passing silently between them, he either didn't care or was choosing to ignore it. His last act before falling upon Kili was to silence Fili with a vine over his mouth so that he wouldn't interrupt them. Even though Kili wasn't nearly as enthusiastic as he would have preferred, it was certainly much better than what they _had_ been doing. Making love to his precious Kili all this time had been almost comparable to fucking a corpse for all the reaction he'd received. Now Kili kissed him back, ran his hands along his body and tangled them in his hair, made sounds of pleasure for him when he finally took him…and even called out his name, just as he'd always dreamed.

"Kili…Kili, I love you," he groaned as he moved in him over and over again. Kili said nothing to this…only whimpered quietly…and when the young dwarf came it was with nothing more than a quiet gasp.

Legolas spilled himself with a great cry of pleasure and joy, feeling every pulse as he pumped his seed into his new consort's body. The promise his father had made him all those years ago would finally come true tonight. Kili would bear his child…and they would be together forever.

Slowly and reluctantly, the prince pulled out of Kili's body and leaned down to rest his head against his belly, sighing in contentment and pressing tender kisses to the soft, warm skin. "Pregnant…pregnant…at last pregnant…surely," he whispered several times. "Are you ready to be married, Kili?"

Legolas looked up at his husband-to-be with joy in his eyes…but saw only sorrow in Kili's when he looked up at him. He couldn't lie to himself about the expression on his beloved's face…about the tears he was shedding.

"Why are…you crying…my love?" he asked, reaching out a hesitant hand to touch his cheek.

"Did it never occur to you…that he doesn't _want_ to bear your child?" an angry voice hissed at him. As he looked back over his shoulder, he realized he had let his magic slip somewhat in the throes of his passion, for the vines had loosened their hold of Fili somewhat. Not enough that he could get free, but enough that he could talk and breathe. The golden-haired dwarf was looking at him with pure hate in his eyes. "Did you ever even _ask_ him? Do you _care_ what he wants?!"

"Of course I care. I _love_ him," he insisted. Fili laughed bitterly at this, scoffing at him.

"If you'd ever _truly_ loved him, you wouldn't have needed a spell at all. Did you continue to keep your watch over him…after you'd started to _kidnap_ him every night?"

"Well…no," Legolas admitted, an arm tightening around Kili as he glared at the older dwarf. "There wasn't any need."

"Then you don't know."

"Know _what?_" he demanded.

"Know that the spells you had bound him with were _changing_ him. The dwarf you supposedly _loved_ was nearly gone by the time I'd returned from the war."

"That…that's not true."

"It is. The spell was denying him his memory and it left him feeling guilty and afraid, but he couldn't understand why…and when all of that negativity was turned inward, he became a twisted soul. The things you did to him…they were turning him into someone neither of us want him to be. If you love him at all, I _know_ you don't want such a fate for him," Fili pleaded with the prince, calling out to the part of him, however small, that truly loved Kili.

"No, it…it _can't_ be true. I would _never_ harm him. I _love_ him. It's not true."

"Of course it's not, my son," a new voice suddenly said. The three looked up to see the elven king gliding into the chamber, a sickeningly sweet smile adorning his face. "The little dwarf only wants to take from you what is rightfully yours."

"Why Kili?" Fili demanded of the ancient king. "Why him? Why have you done this to him?"

"Because it is our time…our time to rise and take back what is rightfully ours, dwarfling. You see…many thousands of years ago, your line rose up in revolution against my people when they learned that our magic was weak against iron. They used their iron weapons to drive us away, into the twilight realm, but I swore that I would take your line for my own one day. When the time came, a son of mine would join with a child of your house and the children they begat would rule your world for all of time. When Kili was born I knew our time had come."

"That…that was _you?_" Fili whispered in shock. He had never forgotten the night of his brother's birth…never forgotten the hand that reached out as if to snatch Kili away from him.

"Heheh, yes," the king said, sneering at him as he approached. "I would have preferred he were born a female child; this would not have taken as long as it did, but as you can see, we have other ways of achieving our ends. If Legolas were to fill Kili with his seed every night for an entire year, then the exposure to his power would eventually cause the boy to become receptive. On the final night, the seed that entered him would impregnate him…so first, let us see if we have succeeded," he said, turning away from Fili and going to the bed. Kili shrank back into Legolas' possessive embrace, but there was no protection to be had there. The prince offered his beloved up to his father without question.

The king seized Kili's wrists and pinned them above his head while forcing a knee between his legs, pinning him to the bed while his other hand explored him. The hand began at Kili's groin then trailed up toward his belly. Kili struggled, but he couldn't get away…and when he saw a triumphant smile light the elf king's face, he felt despair consume his heart.

"Indeed, precious Kili, you are with child. My son's seed is growing within you this very minute. The line you bear will be more powerful than any that have come before it…and _you_ will be the vessel through which we reenter the world," he said, laying a gentle kiss on Kili's forehead. When he finally released him, Kili was left lying helplessly on the bed, feeling more violated than he had in all the past months.

"So…since you have what you want now…what are you going to do with me?" Fili asked, glaring poison at the elf king.

"Oh, you'll remain with us, certainly…a member of our Kili's dwarven guard, for that will surely please him. Heh, twelve of you I have…twelve dwarves…like the hours on a clock. You will be the twelfth, Fili, and you will be placed under the same enchantment as the others, left with nothing…for if you can no longer love Kili, you certainly can't come between him and Legolas."

"No…please…" Kili started to cry. "Don't do this to him. I've already agreed to remain with your son. At least let my brother go free."

"And allow him to lead another rebellion against us?" the king snapped. "I think not. You should be grateful I don't kill him. Either you marry my son tonight and gladly welcome your brother into your guard under _my_ terms…or I really _will_ kill him. The choice is yours alone, Kili."

For several moments, Kili gazed into Fili's eyes, trying to drink his fill of the sweet, warm gaze that he loved so much. If this was to truly be their last moment…

Fili didn't bother with words. He knew it was useless to beg Kili at this point. If Kili chose this fate for them, there was nothing he could do about it. He could only tell him how much he loved him with his eyes. He knew that he would always love Kili…always…even if he were no longer himself…even if they took his heart away from him. Finally, Kili nodded, and Fili could see their fate written in his eyes.

"All right. I'll do it. I only ask one other thing in return."

"And that would be?"

"A kiss," he said softly. "One last kiss…to replace our forever."

The elf king rolled his eyes, but ultimately nodded his acceptance. "I see no harm in that."

Slowly, Kili pulled himself up from the bed…the bed of his defilement and the bed on which he had betrayed Fili…the bed that would likely be his prison until the end of his days…if he should be so lucky as to be permitted to die by these elves. Not looking back at his husband-to-be, Kili walked to his brother…his love. As he drew near, Legolas reluctantly released the vines from around him, allowing them to embrace one last time.

"You will never age for me," Kili whispered in his ear as he held him tightly. "Nor fade…nor die. I will love you always…no matter what they do. My heart will always belong to you."

"And mine to you," Fili whispered back, burying his nose in Kili's hair, breathing in his scent for what may well be the last time.

Then, to seal the promise, more solemn than any wedding vow, the brothers kissed, warm lips pressing tenderly against each other, promising their souls forever…

…and as Legolas watched, he knew he could never compete.

"All right, enough of this foolishness," the elf king growled, reaching forward and pulling Kili away from Fili. "The wedding will be held presently. Once the bond has been sealed, we shall emerge once more into the mortal world. But before you dress yourself, Kili, remove that infernal iron from your neck. I will not have it present at my son's wedding."

Kili swallowed heavily as he nodded. He knew that removing the iron would cause him to fall into the enchantment again, but what did that matter now? For what did he need free will now? Perhaps it would be better…not to be aware that he was betraying Fili again. As he closed his fingers around the iron chain, he looked to Fili one last time.

"I love you," he said.

"I love you, too," Fili returned.

With that, Kili slipped the iron chain off…and as his mind descended into darkness once more, the protective chain slipped from his fingers.

"Good. Help him to dress, Legolas. We will see you down in the banquet hall," the king said, taking hold of Fili's shoulder and leading him from the chamber.

XxX

Kili may have been the one getting married, but that didn't mean he was present for it. He couldn't see any of the grandeur that surrounded him…couldn't see the banquet or the celebration that the elves had prepared for their prince's marriage. He was lost in the fog of his own mind, his body led about by the elf who was soon to be his husband. Briefly, the haze was thrown back when he caught sight of a golden-haired dwarf standing passively among the others, but the break didn't last long. The golden hair passed out of his vision soon enough and he continued to walk toward the altar.

The beautiful dwarf's eyes were just as empty as all the others, after all.

The young dwarf couldn't quite get the golden hair out of his thoughts, though. There was something important…something about he and him. Why couldn't he remember?

"My people," the elf king's voice sounded distantly, even though he was standing right before him. "It gives me great pleasure to announce that a new day is dawning for us as we gather to celebrate the marriage of my son, Prince Legolas, to the dwarven prince, Kili."

It was something the king had said…something in his voice…something that would _save_ them…

"Even now, Kili is carrying my son's child, and with the line of Durin in our hands at last, we shall rise to the surface and overthrow them…exactly as we were meant to!"

The child…the child…_their_ child! What…what was it? His _baby…_

"Therefore I, Thranduil, through my authority as king, shall declare these two princes to be wed, consorts for all their days, so long as they both consent to the marriage."

The seed! Thranduil had said that the seed that entered his body this night would impregnate him! There was no need for it to be Legolas' seed. It was the seed that entered him…and Legolas had not been the first to lie with him this night. It had been _Fili!_ The child he carried…it was not Legolas' at all. It was _Fili's!_ He was pregnant with Fili's child!

"Legolas, do you take this dwarf to be your consort…to be your faithful servant and the bearer of your children?"

"I do."

He couldn't let this happen. He couldn't lose his family to the elves _now._ They would kill both the child _and_ Fili the moment they realized the truth…and he would be lost forever. He couldn't let them win now.

"And do you, Kili, take Legolas to be your king and consort, to serve him faithfully and to bear his heirs?"

It felt to Kili like emerging from deep water when he finally broke through the enchantment. He drew in a deep gulp of air as he felt the flame of life finally return to his wavering spirit. Slowly, he turned to look up at Legolas…and was relieved to see the understanding in his eyes…but saw only rage in Thranduil's eyes when he looked to him, his own eyes finally awake and full of anger and defiance.

"I do not! I will never! You won't use me for this!" he declared before leaping down from the altar. He could hear the king attempt to pursue him, but Legolas stepped in to stop him. Shocked and amazed at the conflict between the prince and the king, not a single elf made to stop Kili as he raced to his brother.

"Fili, come on! You've got to wake up! We have to get out of here!" Kili shouted as he caught his brother in his arms…but Fili did not react to him. When Kili looked up into his eyes, they were glazed and lifeless. Was this…the kind of pain Fili had experienced…when he'd seen Kili trapped by the elven magic?

"Oh, Fili…I'm so sorry. _I_ did this to you. You wouldn't be here now…if it weren't for me," he cried as he held his unmoving brother. "You fought so hard…to save me. Please…let me save you now. Wake up…come back to me. There's still time," he said softly, pressing his lips gently against Fili's.

Then, blessedly, he felt Fili's lips move against his, returning the kiss, and when he pulled back, he saw the color and the life return to his face. For a moment, the older dwarf wavered on his feet and Kili reached out to steady him.

"Where…where are we?"

"It doesn't matter, my love, because we're getting out of here right now," he said, kissing him one more time. When he allowed Fili to lean against him and he looked back, he was relieved to see the other dwarves also awakening from the spell. But then a great clap of thunder sounded, as if the earth itself had split open. The elves all began to stir in panic as the palace began to shake around them.

"Come on!" Kili shouted to the group of slightly dazed dwarves. "We need to get out now! It's going to come down!"

With Fili leaning on him, Kili led the way out of the palace, the others barely managing to follow in their weakened state. Before he headed out, Kili took one last look back at Legolas and Thranduil, still battling furiously against each other. Legolas caught his look, returning it with an acknowledging nod before turning his full attention back to his father.

Panicked elves were fleeing in droves as the band of dwarves slowly made their way out of the palace and toward the boat. Fili was at first worried how they would all get across, but Kili knew of the small craft's magic. No matter how many dwarves piled in, there always seemed to be room for one more…and when Kili and Fili climbed in, last of all, the boat sailed easily across the black lake. When they disembarked on the other side, though, another horrific crash sounded through the twilit air and when they looked back, they found that the elven palace had collapsed in upon itself.

"Come on," Kili urged them on, beginning to lead the way through the forest. "We can't stay. The gateway will be closed soon and if we're not through, we'll be trapped. Our own world will be closed to us!"

Nobody questioned the young prince. They simply followed as he led them through the wondrous forests, back toward the glowing waterfall. Fili and Kili made certain all the others passed through before they themselves made the final journey, tumbling out at last into their own garden…finally home.

"How did you do it?" Fili asked over and over as he clung to Kili in the grey, pre-dawn light. "How did you _do_ it?"

"I don't know. I _don't know,_" he returned, kissing his brother's face several times. "I just…I couldn't let it end like that."

There was talk all around them from the other dwarves…talk of fetching the king, of leading armies against the elves. Dwalin and Balin were the ones who finally left to fetch Thorin while Oin started to look over the others. While this was happening, the two brothers just rested against the now dark fountain, caressing each other's faces and stroking each other's hair, each reassuring the other of their existence. After a time, Kili drew one of Fili's hands down to his belly, resting it against the flat surface.

"I…I realized something…in the moments before Thranduil was going to marry us."

"What?" Fili asked, rubbing his stomach without really thinking about it.

"He said…that the seed to enter my body would be the seed that impregnated me…but Legolas wasn't the first to lie with me last night," he said, gripping the hand that caressed his belly a little tighter. He nodded when he saw the realization spark to life in Fili's eyes.

"It was _me._"

"Yes. The child I'm carrying…is _yours._ Fili…we…we're going to have a _baby,_" he whispered, his voice thick with joy. Fili's shock immediately transformed into a blindingly bright smile.

"Kili…do you realize what that means?"

Again, Kili nodded. "It means I can bear you heirs. We could…be permitted to marry."

As they both laughed in joy, they embraced once more, kissing and holding each other tightly, both tasting the sweet irony of the fact that this horrible had ordeal had somehow granted them the one thing they'd always wanted.

"You know…" Fili began softly after a time, the first rays of morning already beginning to streak his golden hair, "I think…I think it was _you_ who broke the spell…all on your own."

"What do you mean?"

"Your love…for me…and for our child. Your love broke their power over you…and over me…once and for all."

"Yes…I think you're right. At the end…when we were fleeing…I heard Legolas' voice in my head. His words were something like…by breaking the enchantment, I had actually broken their power. That was what was causing the palace to collapse…and why the gateway was closing."

"Will that…prevent Thranduil from trying to come for you again?" Fili asked, suddenly worried again.

"No…_that_ won't…but Legolas defeated Thranduil…and he will allow us to live in peace," Kili said quietly. "I suppose…he really may have loved me after all."

"Well…I don't suppose I can begrudge him that. After all…how can I blame others for loving you…when you're the center of my whole world?"

"Fili…there's something I don't understand. How was it…that _you_ were able to resist the enchantment before? Was it the iron chain?" Kili asked him.

"No. It's gone now…Thranduil must have taken it from me, but…a few nights ago, when I was here praying for guidance…I found a moonflower vining on our tree, and when it bloomed, it had golden petals. I don't know how, but…it kept me safe from their magic. It also kept me from being seen or heard, though…so I had to remove it to confront the elf prince. I don't know how it came to be here, or why…but I've always been able to find truth and comfort in this place. I like to think that…maybe our parents are still here somehow…watching over us…and I pray what's happened won't take away the sanctity of this place."

"No…it will never," Kili said as he snuggled even closer against his brother. "This is the place…where you protected me as a child…and the place where I first loved you…and it will be the place where we raise our own child in safety. Nothing can ever take that away from us…and nothing will ever take me away from _you_. Never again," he promised before pressing his lips against Fili's once more, taking all the more joy of his brother's embrace because he had nearly lost it forever. As the sun rose over the garden, warming the chill that had so long run in their blood, the two princes just lay together beside the fountain, holding and kissing each other…reveling in the fact that they had somehow survived the night…and that they had the greatest treasures in the world to show for it.

XxX

_The two princes told their uncle everything that had happened, even from the time of the young prince's birth. Nothing was left out…and when the king had been reassured of the truth of the situation and his nephews had asked him for permission to wed, he said that he would grant it just as soon as their heir was born safe and sound and there was nothing…wrong or unusual about the child. The two brothers were quite happy to agree to his terms, as they were confident of being able to bring their child safely into the world._

_ The pregnancy was hard on the young prince, though, as his had been hard on his own mother. His body was never meant to bear children, and even though his exposure to the elven magic made it somewhat more bearable, it was still difficult for him. His brother began to worry for the safety of both him and the child. He could still remember how weak their mother had become in the days before she'd borne his brother…and he could see that same exhaustion growing daily in his love's eyes as the time of birth drew ever nearer. Had the two of them carried each other out of the twilight…only to be separated forever by the unfeeling hand of death?_

_ When the night of the child's birth finally arrived, the physician announced that it would have to be cut out of the prince._

XxX

Fili paced anxiously outside his and Kili's bedchamber. Thorin had nearly had to pry him away from his brother at sword point so that the healers could be allowed to do their work. It had been several hours now and Fili was no longer certain what was preventing him from marching into the chamber and threatening to behead every last one of them if no one would let him see his lover.

"What's taking so long?" he demanded of his uncle. "They…they would tell me if something were wrong…wouldn't they?" For a long while, Thorin said nothing, just smiled serenely at his oldest nephew.

"You have never had any patience with childbirth, my sister-son. As I recall, you were just as anxious the night Kili was born. Giving birth to a child is no easy task. It is normal for it to take this long. I would not worry yet."

"But Kili doesn't have to go through labor or anything. They're birthing the child through surgery. Shouldn't that be quicker?" Fili insisted.

"You would have them just cut straight into him without any sort of preparation? He would never survive it. A great deal of care must be taken, even with this sort of birth…more even than a natural birth, I'd say. Just wait. Your child will be strong…and I do not believe Kili will desert you now. Have faith in him."

Fili was about to say more when the yowling, distressed cries of a newborn suddenly rent the air. The blond dwarf immediately spun to face the door, very near to tearing it down…but Thorin's words held him back.

"No. Not yet, Fili. There is yet more work to be done. They will come for you when it's time. Wait."

Fili was near to bursting into tears of frustration. Growling quietly, he pounded a fist against the door; then he continued his pacing. When at last the chamber door opened to reveal Oin's exhausted face, Fili nearly pounced on him.

"Are they all right?!" he demanded, the smile on the healer's tired face soothing him only slightly.

"You have a son, my prince…and your brother is doing fine. He's resting comfortably at the moment. Would you like to see them?"

Fili nodded anxiously, nearly pushing his way past the old physician as word went out that a new prince was born.

Kili was lying on their bed, eyes closed, but when he heard Fili call to him, they immediately flickered open. Even though he was plainly exhausted, Fili didn't know that he had ever seen him look happier.

"How are you feeling?" he asked as he sat beside him on the bed, being very careful of him as he drew him into his arms.

"Tired…so very tired…and everything hurts…but Fili…he is beautiful…so beautiful. He's with the wet nurse now…but I can't wait for you to see him…your son…"

"_Our_ son," Fili said softly, pressing a tender kiss to his brother's forehead. Kili continued to smile as he held him.

"I had a dream," he said softly as Fili stroked his hair. "I dreamed that…Legolas came to me…and he promised to watch over our son…and that all who take their decent from us shall always be protected…so long as he reigns in the twilight realm. The sons of Durin will have nothing to fear from the elves."

"Mahal praise," Fili said softly, continuing to kiss and cradle his brother while the healers went about the task of cleaning out the chamber…and after what felt like much too long to the older prince, a nurse finally approached them with a tightly swaddled bundle in her arms. Kili smiled as he held out his arms for the babe. A tiny hand reached out of the nest of blankets as Kili cradled their baby boy close.

When Fili looked down into the bundle, he saw a pair of dark brown eyes blinking sleepily up at him. The peach fuzz barely visible at the top of the newborn's head was so blond as to almost be white.

"Hello, little one," Fili crooned as he reached a hand down to stroke the baby's plump cheek. "I'm your papa. I'm so happy to finally see you…my son."

The baby cooed and burbled sweetly for several minutes before finally falling asleep in Kili's arms. The two new parents smiled softly at each other as their son dozed.

"So what do you want to call him?" Kili asked. They had discussed many names back and forth and had settled on a few they really thought would work.

"Now that I see him…I think I like Kaz best," he decided, leaning over to kiss Kili's ear.

"Good choice. I like it, too," Kili said quietly, turning and pressing his lips against Fili's.

"I love you," Fili said, smiling as he held his brother and son just a little tighter, ready to hold them until the morning.

"And I love you," Kili returned, kissing Fili again before resting his head against his shoulder, Kaz cradled gently between the two of them. There was no promise made to keep their little son safe, for such a thing did not need saying. As they had always cared for and loved each other, so too would they protect and love little Kaz. They would not take for granted one moment of the peace and joy they had won for themselves.

XxX

_The two brothers were not to be doubted. They raised their child in love and bore many more besides their first son. When their time came, they were wise and just rulers, and they raised their son to rule just as wisely after them. _

_ Just as the elven prince had promised, their children were kept safe, happy, and prosperous. Even though they could not know it, the line of Durin flourished for many thousands of years after they were gone, protected under the watchful eyes of its hidden elven guardian, who never forgot the beautiful young prince he had loved so many lifetimes ago. Even though he knew there would always be a part of his heart that would grieve for his lost chance, he was always happy that the prince had known joy with someone who loved him truly…even if it had only been for the brief span of their mortal lives on earth…though he certainly prayed they had found happiness beyond their end, just as they deserved._

_ And of course, because you are wondering, the two brothers did indeed live…and die…happily ever after._

XxX

(A/N) And there ye have it. As always, I hope the story was enjoyed. My next fairytale will be a return to my swan roots with a Swan Princess/ Swan Lake sort of story. This time I think Kili will have his turn at being a swan. At the moment, it's titled 'Feathers of White', but of course it's not written yet, and I do also need to warn you that I will be taking a brief hiatus from writing fan fiction in order to try and get my own original work in order, maybe take a stab at the beginnings of trying to get myself legitimately published…but rest assured, I shall return to you with more fairytales and more Durincest just as soon as I can. Until next we meet, dear readers, adieu.


End file.
